WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has come under fire after canceling a scheduled interview withThe Dan Patrick Showat the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Nevada. Host Dan Patrick announced the cancellation on Friday, claiming the league's public relations team instructed Engelbert to back out of the conversation, which had been promoted a day in advance.
Patrick said the interview was set for Thursday but fell through after a nearly two-hour wait. «We were standing by, we're waiting to interview her,» Patrick said. He added that he intended to ask about Caitlin Clark, the league's rising star, and topics such as WNBA expansion. «Then we got word... that the commissioner said that the WNBA staff, the PR staff, said that she is not allowed to do this. They would prefer that she did not do this.»
Patrick criticized Engelbert's decision, noting that she was golfing just 50 yards away during Friday's show. «You're the commissioner, and you're listening to the PR department, which is fine. But did you check with PR before you said yes to us?» he said. «It was her opportunity to finally say, 'hey, you can ask me the tough questions.' I thought this was going to be a good thing for the WNBA because people still want answers here.»
The cancellation adds to mounting scrutiny over Engelbert's leadership, particularly regarding the league's response to physical incidents involving Clark. In a recent game, Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas punched Clark in the throat, a play that referees did not call a foul in real time. Thomas received a one-game suspension after the play was upgraded to a flagrant 1, but the league did not publicly address the hit on Clark or the pattern of hard contact she has faced since entering the league in 2024.
Instead, the WNBA issued a statement defending Thomas after she faced online backlash. «The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is always the league's top priority,» the statement read. «We are aware of Alyssa Thomas' comments, and what she and her teammates have experienced is completely unacceptable and not representative of the WNBA community.»
The controversy escalated when Clark finished 11th in the peer-voted portion of the 2026 WNBA All-Star balloting, despite ranking fifth in points per game (fourth among guards), second in assists per game, and sixth in three-pointers per game. WNBA legend Candace Parker publicly criticized players for disrespecting Clark. «When I sat down, as much as I did not like Diana Taurasi, there ain't no way I'm not going to write her as an All-Star,» Parker said. «I think people need to look at themselves in the mirror and realize, like, man, you've got some insecurities if you're sitting down and putting Caitlin Clark as the eleventh best guard.»
The situation reached Capitol Hill this week when 11 Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Engelbert demanding accountability for the physical hostility directed at Clark. The letter suggested that federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, investigate the league for creating a hostile work environment. The Indiana Fever, Clark's team, quickly distanced themselves from the political intervention, releasing a statement confirming they had no prior knowledge of the letter. Fever head coach Stephanie White declined to engage with the topic when asked by Fox News Digital, saying, «That's not something we can control. We're not affiliated with those groups. We try to keep the main thing the main thing and focus on the things we can control.»
Patrick also noted that his producers had previously reached out to the WNBA for a statement after the Thomas incident on June 25 and never received a response. He publicly criticized the league's silence on June 26, stating that it allowed the situation to «spiral out of control.» The canceled interview and ongoing controversies highlight the challenges facing the WNBA as it navigates player safety, media relations, and the growing influence of its most prominent star.
